Rough Beginnings
by WannabeSlytherinPrincess
Summary: The story of Jack Mercer and just how he came to aquire that last name. **WARNING** Mentions of child abuse and sexual situations.
1. How It All Began

The day that Jack Andrew Mercer's life changed forever occurred one late night in March of 1993. It was around 11 o'clock when Jack was brought to the hospital after suffering yet another brutal beating. The fresh cuts and bruises mixed with the old ones schocked nearly everyone, except Jack himself. He was more than used to it. He fought almost helplessly as doctors and nurses attempted to treat his wounds. If there was anything Jack hated more than hospitals, it was being touched. Eventually though, he gave up struggling and let them tend to his various injuries. After about 30 or so minutes, a man in his mid to late 40's came through the door to the hospital room that Jack was in, just as a nurse was finishing cleaning up another one of Jack's wounds.

"I'll be back in just a moment with some more saline", the nurse prompted, more towards Jack than the man seeing as she didn't want to further scare the timid ten-year-old. As the nurse left and Jack focused his attention on the man, he began to visibly shake. "Jack, I'm Officer Mahoney. I'm here to help you", the man, now known to Jack as Officer Mahoney, introduced himself before taking a few steps closer in order to sit beside Jack on the bed, but then changed course altogether after seeing Jack's frightened state. Instead, he chose the seat farthest away from the bed. Though of course, this action did nothing to slow the fast-paced beating of Jack;s heart. In times like this, his fear would always try to overtake him. Sometimes, it succeeded.

"Now, I know you're scared, but you've got to talk to me, Jack", the officer began, "I know you've dealt with abusive foster homes before, but I need to know the story on this one", as always, the boy remained silent. Mahoney sighed before continuing, "Alright. If you don't want to talk, that's fine. But I will need you to try and answer some questions. Okay?" he waited for a response, but knowing he wouldn't get one, began to ask questions.

"Is this the first time your current foster parents have hurt you like this?" he questioned, receiving a small shake of the head from Jack, "When was the first? After you got there four months ago?" a quick nod. Before anymore questions could be asked, the nurse stepped back in with more items in her hands than just saline.

"Okay, sweetheart. Time to finish fixing you up", she stated with a simple smile, placing several of the said items onto the side table.

"I'll be back. I just need to make a quick phone call", Mahoney announced before quickly stepping out of the room and letting the nurse finish her work. As soon as the door to the room was closed, Mahoney made his way to the nearest phone and dialed a number which he knew by heart. The line rang all but three times before a woman answered.

"Yes, Evelyn? It's John Mahoney", he began.

"Oh, hello John. Is there a problem? I'm just finishing up dinner with my boys", Miss Evelyn Mercer herself responded.

"Well, I have this young boy here down at Detroit City Hospital. I think it's something you need to see", Officer Mahoney explained. There was a short silence before Evelyn responded.

"I'll be there in about 5 or 10 minutes", she announced before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone.

Ten minutes later, just as she had said, Evelyn Mercer arrived at Detroit City Hospital. Just as she walked through the door, Officer Mahoney walked up to her and lead the way to Jack's room while he explained the situation to her.

"This boy's had it hard, Evelyn. Going from foster home to foster home; you can't even _begin_ to imagine the things this kid has beent through", Mahoney explained to her.

"What exactly brought him here tonight?" she questioned.

"The neigbor of his current foster parents called in after hearing him screaming. When cops finally arrived, he was bleeding like crazy, multiple wounds just about everywhere visible. As far as we know, it was mostly from a belt. Although, there are plenty of scars and bruises from past beatings", Evelyn's face dropped slightly from this news, as it always did whenever she heard of harsh abuse cases such as this. As they stopped in front of the window to see inside of Jack's room, Evelyn was able to see him for the first time. What she saw nearly brought tears to her eyes.

"He's very quiet, hasn't said a single word since he got here. I tried asking him some questions earlier, but got nothing but a few nods", Evelyn was hardly listening as she watched the nurse wrap Jack's arm.

"What's his name?" Evelyn suddenly asked, almost in a whisper.

"Jack Andrew Marston"

"Jack..." the officer watched her for a moment, wondering if she were ever going to move from her spot in front of the window. "Can I see him?" she then wondered.

"Of course. Let me just tell him so that he won't get too scared. He's very skittish", was Mahoney's answer before he left her side to enter the room. As he entered the room and walked towards Jack, Evelyn noticed Jack flinch slightly. Seconds later, Mahoney came back out and told Evelyn that she could see Jack. As she entered the room, the nurse left and Evelyn made her way towards Jack, stopping a few steps short to avoid scaring the young boy anymore. The first thing she noticed almost immediately were the bright blue eyes that Jack had.


	2. Nightmares

As Evelyn drove home, she periodically looked in her rearview mirror to look at the frightened young boy sitting in the back seat, staring down at the floor of the car. After briefly speaking with him and going over his paperwork with Officer Mahoney, Evelyn decided to let Jack stay with her for a while until she could find him a permanent home. She had already explained to him about her three older sons, not missing the anxious reaction that ensued.

"You'll be fine, Jackie. My boys will behave themselves, I promise", Evelyn assured, offering a small smile when he looked up at her. Just as she began to turn the corner to get to her home, she could hear Jack shift uncomfortably in his seat, obviously sensing how close they were to arriving at their destination. When they finally did, Evelyn got out of the car and opened Jack's door for him. He slowly stepped out, taking in all of his surroundings.

"This way, Jack", Evelyn instructed, waiting for Jack to begin following her up to the front door. Once they reached it, she unlocked the door and stepped inside, thinking Jack was still behind her. Immediately, Bobby, Jerry, and Angel came out into the living room and over to Evelyn.

"Boys, this is Jack", she introduced, receiving confused glares from the three.

"You pullin' our leg, ma?" Bobby questioned.

"No, I-" she began, stopping once she realized that Jack wasn't by her side, "Just a moment", she prompted, turning to go out the door once again, only to find Jack standing by the side of it.

"It's okay, Jackie. They won't hurt you. Come on", Evelyn coaxed, stretching out her hand in hopes that Jack would take it. Slowly but surely, he did, making his shaking even more apparent to her. She lead him inside, feeling his hand tighten around hers at the sight of the three boys.

"_This_ is Jack", she confirmed, then turned to him, "Jack, these are my sons, Bobby, Jeremiah, and Angel", Jack just barely looked at them, keeping his eyes glued to his feet. Evelyn smiled weakley.

"I'm just going to show Jack his room, then I'll be back downstairs to talk to you three", she notified, addressing her sons. They watched as Evelyn and Jack made their way upstairs before Bobby went over to the couch and lyed down.

"What's that kids' problem?" he nearly mumbled, turning on a hockey game.

"Ma said he was really traumatized, hard upbringing. Give him a break, Bobby", Jerry insisted, taking a seat.

"Traumatized? What could he possibly be traumatized about? I had a tough life before here too, and you don't see me complainin'"

"Some people handle things differently than others. He's just a kid"

"Yeah. Just a kid..." only seconds later, Evelyn came down the stairs and had all three boys' attention on her.

"So what's the deal with this kid, ma?" Bobby questioned, sounding bored.

"Well boys, Jack's been through a lot. Possibly even more than the three of you combined. He's been through 12 different foster home in his ten years, all of them a different level of abuse and neglect. Just be gentle with him and give him time. He scares easily, and doesn't talk much. He's going to require a lot of help", she explained to them, the whole while sounding saddened by just the thought of Jack.

"Twelve? All in Detroit?", Jerry questioned, his words laced with shock.

"No, not just Detroit. All over Michigan"

"What happened to his arm?" Angel wondered, speaking for the first time since Jack's arrival.

"It's been broken for about a month and a half, now"

"A month and a half! I thought broken bones healed in less time than that?"

"The reason being is that it went untreated for so long. The hospital is hoping his arm will heal properly now that it's been treated correctly", Bobby's head snapped up at this explanation.

"So some asshole just let the kid walk around with a broken arm?" he demanded, anger clear in his voice.

"Watch your mouth, Bobby. And yes, his last foster parents didn't do anything about it", Bobby scoffed at this, shaking his head and looking back at the TV.

"Just please be careful around him, and be very patient", Evelyn stated, almost pleadingly. The three boys nodded, watching her walk back up the stairs.

As Evelyn walked around the corner to get to Jack's new room, she tried to make sure that she didn't scare him.

"Jackie?" she called quietly, peeking her head through the door. He jumped slightly when he heard her, immediately turning around to look at her.

"I'm sorry, sweetie", Evelyn apologized immediately, walking into the room, "Do you like it?" she asked him, watching as he slowly looked around the room. A quick nod from him told her enough, causing her to smile.

"Good, I'm glad. Are you hungry? I know you haven't eaten anything, yet", he stopped to stare at her, shaking his head. Her eyebrows scrunched for a moment.

"Alright, honey. If you change your mind, I'll gladly make you something", she vowed, leaving him to look around some more.

Later in the night after everyone had gone to bed, it was quiet for sometime until screaming could be heard, ringing throughout the halls upstairs. Evelyn got out of bed and rushed to the hall, almost automatically knowing where the screaming was coming from. Eventually, the screaming ceased, but Bobby got up anyway to check it out. He looked down the hall, seeing a door slightly ajar, so he quietly made his way toward it. Once he reached it, he peeked inside, only to see Evelyn sitting down on Jack's bed and stroking his hair as he cried and whimpered into her shoulder. Bobby stayed standing there for a moment, taking in the scene before going back to bed, suddenly feeling a new sense of emotion towards this kid.

As Jack began to calm down, he sniffled a few times before Evelyn spoke up.

"Are you alright, sweetie?" she asked. He looked up at her and nodded before laying his head on her shoulder again, "Was it a nightmare?" another small nod. They stayed silent for a few seconds before Jack's stomach gurgled. Evelyn laughed to herself.

"Are you hungry now?" she questioned, laughing once again when Jack looked up at her and nodded, actually smiling a little for the first time since they'd met only hours before.


	3. Nerves and Good Food

The first official day of Jack's arrival at the Mercer home began with a quiet morning. Evelyn, Bobby, Jerry, and Angel each got up at around 9 and 9:30 AM with Evelyn making the effort to wake Jack up.

"Jackie, sweetie. Time to get up", she coaxed quietly. He moaned and stretched a little before opening his eyes to look up at Evelyn.

"Did you sleep alright?" she asked, receiving a small nod and smiling in return. A few moments later, Jack got out of bed and followed Evelyn downstairs and into the dining room. Evelyn didn't see for herself, but Jack began to shake once again at the sight of the three brothers already at the table.

"Why don't you take a seat next to Jeremiah, Jackie? I'll be right back", Evelyn proposed, waiting to see Jack take a seat before heading into the kitchen. At first, Jack couldn't remember which one was Jerry, but luckily Jerry himself patted the seat next to him with a simple smile. Jack slowly made his way to that side of the table, trying his best to breathe properly. He sat down, not looking at anything but the floor and occassionally his feet. Evelyn then came back out with a plate full of chocolate chip pancakes and bacon in her hands. While the other boys quickly filled their plates and began eating, Jack stayed still, not wanting to do something wrong. He'd already had too much experience with that. Before Eveyln began to get her own food, she looked over at Jack and then filled his plate for him. She gently placed it in front of him, causing him to look up at her, giving her a small smile in return for hers. Before he ate anything, Jack looked back and fourth between the brothers and Evelyn several times, making sure that no one was watching him. When he was sure that no one was, he gingerly picked up his fork and took a piece of bacon, chewing on it slowly. Unbeknownst to Jack, Evelyn could see him from the corner of her eye and couldn't help the smile that appeared when she knew that he was eating.

Later in the day, Evelyn had to go to work, leaving a shakey Jack in her wake. No matter how many times she assured him that he would be fine and Bobby would take good care of him while she was gone, Jack still found it difficult to handle the thought of him being alone with the eldest Mercer all day. A small part of him hoped that Angel and Jerry would stick around seeing as which he felt somewhat safer around them, but unfortunately, both Angel and Jerry left just after Evelyn to visit Camille and some friends, respectively. Therefore, it would be just Bobby and Jack. Pure silence filled the entire house, heightening Jack's nerves more so than before, if that were even possible.

"So what do you wanna do today, Jackie?" Bobby questioned suddenly, making Jack jump at least three feet in the air. After falling onto the couch and grabbing the remote, Bobby stared at Jack skeptically as he just stood there, shaking from the nerves.

"Alright, we'll watch the game, then", Bobby announced, easily getting annoyed with the kid's quiet nature and innability to answer a simple question. He then proceded to turn on the TV, barely noticing when Jack took the seat farthest away from him about ten minutes into the game.

The day went by uneventfully, the only highlight being when Evelyn finally came home. As soon as she entered through the door to the living room, Jack immediately stood up as if he were ready to bolt, then sat back down after receiving a questioning look from Bobby.

"Hi, boys. How was your day?" Evelyn asked, hanging up her coat.

"Boring", Bobby quickly responded, mindlessly flipping through channels. She rolled her eyes but smiled, walking into the living room to sit down.

"Did you have a good day, Jackie?" she wondered in a near whisper. The only response she got was a small shake of the head from Jack, but that was all she needed. She smiled wider at him before making her way into the kitchen.

"So what would you boys like for dinner?" she called to them. Bobby just grunted and Jack, as always, said nothing. After a few moments of not getting an answer, Evelyn re-entered the living room. Bobby was still watching TV, completely oblivious to his mother standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. Jack, however, was looking up at her.

"Jack, why don't you come in the kitchen with me?" she beckoned him, turning slightly to walk back into the kitchen. He just sat there staring at her.

"Come on, Jackie. It's okay, I just want to show you something", she coaxed, watching as he slowly got out of the chair he was seated in and began following her back into the kitchen.

"I just want to show you a few options and then I'll let you decide what you want to eat", he stared at her incredulously while she went through the freezer, completely shocked that someone was actually allowing _him_ to make a decision. Evelyn went through five different meal ideas before Jack finally decided on chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy, and peas. Before she dismissed him to continue watching TV with Bobby, Evelyn decided to try something.

"Jackie, would you like to cook with me?" she asked, causing him to turn back around and look at her with a questioning gaze. Though after a short while, he shook his head 'yes' and gave her a small smile. Evelyn smiled wider and lead him over to the potatoes where she showed him how to peel.

Once Evelyn and Jack were finished making dinner, Bobby, Angel, and Jerry filed into the dining room with aprreciative grins. After they began eating, there was complete silence until Bobby decided to speak up.

"Jeeze, Ma. What did you do to this chicken? It's better than usual", he commented between mouthfulls. Evelyn giggled.

"You can thank Jackie for that", she admitted. Suddenly, all three boys turned to look at Jack, causing him to drop his fork and look up nervously at them.

"Jack, you made this?" Angel questioned. Jack gave him a quick nod.

"Damn, kid. You got some skills!" he complimented, getting back to his food. And with that, everyone else continued to eat, and Jack picked his fork back up with a small smile glued to his face.


	4. A Fresh Start

**I've watched enough crime-related shows to sound like a creepy pedophile, so please forgive me. Just a warning! Thanks! Review, pleeeease!**

_He only ever tried to be good. Tried to stay away from the pain, the feeling of being worthless. But it was always inescapable. Suddenly, there were heavy footsteps descending the basement stairs as a bright light appeared at the top of them. It was blinding, but Jack was more focused on his racing heartbeat as the steps got closer to him. Suddenly, the very man responsible for this hike in fear came into view, blocking the blinding light above him. _

_ "Get up", he snapped, angrily grabbing Jack's arm and forcing him to stand. Jack whimpered slightly, despite himself. _

_ "Now, I got a friend comin'. And you better damn well behave yourself this time, cause if not... well, you know the consequences", he stated, giving Jack a quick, sinister smile before calling a name, "John!" Just then, another pair of footsteps made their way down the stairs, once again increasing Jack's heartbeat. _

_ "You got one hour, John. Just like we talked about", a quick nod from the tall man standing by the stairs was his only answer before Jack's foster father ascended the stairs once again. Just as the door shut, John slowly made his way over towards Jack with a sinister, half smile on his face. _

_ "Well, would you look at what we've got here", he announced in a low voice that sent shivers up Jack's spine, "Aren't you just the sweetest little thing?" another round of shivers. Jack tightly closed his eyes when the man in front of him reached for his arm. He was thrown onto the dirty old matress in the corner, his head just inches away from hitting the back wall. When Jack finally opened his eyes again, he saw John kneeling in front of him on the bed, tightly tying Jack's wrist to the water pipe behind him with his belt. Once he was finished, Jack's eyes widened at the sight of John unzipping his pants. He turned his head away, but John roughly grabbed his chin and forced Jack to look at him. Or rather, a different part of John altogether. Jack tried his hardest to turn away, twisting his small and fragile body any way it would go to get away. Unfortunately, John forced Jack's mouth open..._

"Jack? Jack, wake up!" Bobby nearly shouted, shaking Jack's shoulders to try and wake him up and keep him from screaming anymore. Suddenly, Jack bolted awake, tears streaming down his still slightly bruised face. He began gasping for breath, his whole body shaking. Evelyn quickly walked over to him, sitting next to him on the bed and pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Shhh. Jackie, it's okay. It's okay, baby. Calm down", she whispered soothingly, gently smoothing his hair and rocking him back and fourth as he cried into her shoulder. Jerry and Angel quietly left the room, Bobby following only seconds later. Evelyn continued to soothe Jack until his crying began to fade and all she could hear from him were small sniffles as he began to rub his eyes furiously.

"I'm s-sorry", he whimpered, quietly enough to the point where he was almost inaudible.

"Oh, Jackie. What are you sorry for?" she questioned as he pulled away from her.

"I- I woke you all up. I'm sorry", he whispered again, burying his head back into Evelyn's shoulder.

"Don't you worry about that, sweetie. You are much more important than any amount of sleep", she re-assured him before smoothing his hair again. After another several minutes of this, Jack had finally calmed down enough to go back to sleep, and that's just what he did. Just as Evelyn gently closed Jack's bedroom door, she turned around to see Bobby leaning up against the side wall with his arms crossed.

"How's the kid?" he asked, pushing away from the wall to follow Evelyn down the hall.

"He's alright. For now, he just needs some rest", she assured, giving him a small smile before closing the door to her room.

When morning finally rolled around, nerves were high within the Mercer household as it was only Evelyn, Bobby, Jerry, and Angel at the breakfast table. After several minutes of silence, Bobby stood up.

"I'll go get him", he stated rather than offered, but Evelyn stood up herself.

"Sit down, Bobby. I'll be back", she advised, making her way up the stairs. She got slightly worried when she eased open Jack's door and didn't hear anything, but breathed out a sigh of relief once she noticed his chest moving up and down every few seconds. Not wanting to startle him too much, Evelyn took light steps over to Jack and whispered his name.

"Come on, sweetie. It's time to get up", she coaxed, putting her hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump and his eyes to snap open. Evelyn immediately moved her hand, instantly regretting that decision, "I'm sorry, Jackie", she whispered, standing up and waiting for him to follow her. After rubbing his eyes, Jack slowly got up and followed Evelyn down the stairs and into the dining room. The three boys stopped to look up at Jack, before continuing to eat when they realized how uncomfortable he was.

After breakfast, the boys retreated to the livingroom while Evelyn washed dishes. Just as she began, an idea hit her.

"Jackie, could you come here for a minute?" she called from the sink, causing Jack to jump and his heart to race at the thought of her possibly being mad about the night before.

"I thought I'd take the day off today to take you shopping for some new clothes. Would you like that?" she wondered as she finished drying a dish. When she didn't get an answer, she looked over at him and saw him shake his head 'yes'. A smile quickly formed itself onto her face, and she passed Jack a dish to dry for her so that they could go shopping sooner. As soon as they finished, Evelyn grabbed her car keys and the two of them went out to the car, letting the boys know that they would be back in about an hour or two. Jack would never admit it, but he was actually excited to be going clothes shopping as no one had ever bought him anything, never mind cared enough to give him something new. If and when his past foster parents had given him clothes, they were either old and worn or too big on him. In fact, the sweatshirt and jeans that he was wearing now were at least two or three sizes too big, and he couldn't wait to get out of them and wear something that was actually made for someone of his stature. Not to mention, the only thing keeping his jeans from falling down to his ankles was a thin piece of string.

Evelyn and Jack eventually arrived at a small-sized mall near the end of town. Jack had never been to one before, so this was certainly something new but exciting for him. Evelyn watched as Jack looked all around the building with wide eyes, a large smile spread across her face at the sight.

"This way, Jackie", she beckoned, having him follow her towards the boys' clothing aisles, "Pick anything you want, sweetie. Then we'll go find you some shoes", Jack was about to start looking at some shirts when he realized he had no idea what size he was. He looked to Evelyn for help.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" she asked, watching as he turned to stare at one of the shirt racks, "Oh, I see. You don't know what size you are, huh?" she recognized. He slowly shook his head, hanging his head slightly in embarassment. Evelyn 'hmmm'ed her response before looking around for someone who worked there. One she spotted a young girl, she called her over.

"How can I help you, ma'am?" she asked, approaching the two.

"Yes, we're trying to figure out what size he is. Is there any way you could possibly help us?" Evelyn wondered, referring to Jack. At first, the girl looked from Jack to Evelyn, slightly confused as to how this kid could be ten years old and not know his own clothing size. But then, she quickly realized just who Evelyn was and automatically went to find a measuring tape. She returned only moments later, a long, thin tape in her hands.

"I'll just measure him to see what shirt and pant size he is. Okay?" she explained, going to put the tape around Jack's torso, but stopped once Jack took a step backwards.

"Oh, he's just a little skittish", Evelyn explained to her, "She's just going to measure you, Jackie. It's okay", she assured him. In return, Jack nodded his head and hesitantly allowed the girl to measure him. Once she finished the measuring, Jack finally went to pick out some clothes with his sizes in mind. About thirty minutes or so passed before Jack was satisfied with what he had, which to Evelyn's surprise, wasn't much.

"Jackie, you can get more that _that_", she emphasized, pointing to the small pile of shirts and jeans in his arms. He began to shake his head 'no', not wanting to push this kind woman's generosity, but Evelyn lead him back towards the different clothing. After she was satisfied with all that Jack had, they both made their way over to the shoe aisle. They also had to measure his feet as the shoes he was wearing were too big, as well. They were able to find three pairs that Jack liked, so with their cart full of everything that he needed, they began to 20 or so minute ride home.


End file.
